Karl Leyser

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Karl Joseph Leyser TD FBA (24 October 1920 – 27 May 1992) was a German-born British historian who was Fellow and Tutor in History, Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1948 to 1984, and Chichele Professor of Medieval History at Oxford University, from 1984 to 1988.[1][2]

He wrote extensively on early mediaeval Germany, with a particular focus on Saxony, publishing over 70 articles and books in both German and English. His interests included royal rule and royal personality, diplomacy, politics, warfare, and the early Holy Roman Empire.

As a result of being Jewish, he left Nazi Germany before World War II. He was commissioned into the Black Watch in June 1944 and saw active service with the 7th Battalion in North-West Europe.[3] He was married to Henrietta Leyser. One of their daughters is the plant biologist Ottoline Leyser, another is the circus performer and author Matilda Leyser, and one of their sons is the medievalist Conrad Leyser.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ G. H. Martin, ‘Leyser, Karl Joseph (1920–1992)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 25 Oct 2013
  2. ^ ‘LEYSER, Prof. Karl Joseph’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012 ; online edn, Nov 2012 accessed 24 Oct 2013
  3. ^ "Karl Joseph Leyser" (PDF). British Academy. p. 604. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Conrad Leyser". Oxford University. Retrieved 2 April 2019.